By Steve Seguin

...it was the feel of the place that struck me. The dancehall remix of an old Selena song played over the speakers with gusto. Colorful fiesta banners and piñata characters decorated the ceiling.

In what is a mostly forgotten shopping center in West Ashley, near a consignment shop and a now-empty Chuck E. Cheese… nestled between Star Beauty Supply and a discount tobacco and liquor store… you would be forgiven for not knowing about it. But when you slow down to look, curiosity might get the better of you. Tables full of people hungrily munching away, you think, “what is going on here?” Obviously, it's something delicious.

El Molino (meaning “the mill”) is the total package. It’s a market where you can stock your shelves with pantry goods and fresh produce while satisfying every craving from sweet to savory. Its highly anticipated tortilla factory opens this month, making it a one-stop shop. For any business that sells or serves food, what’s the hook? What is it that keeps customers coming back again and again? To quote the great Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That is where we will start for El Molino.

Packaging with new, colorful characters ranging from grandmothers sipping hot chocolate to teddy bears in chef hats, and cartoon pineapples fill the shelves. Dried spices and chiles spark the culinary imagination.

Maybe it was your first churros or that spoonful of a hot fudge sundae as a child. Or Fourth of July cookouts by the lake with cold, salted watermelon and charcoal-grilled cheeseburgers. Maybe it was a steamy bowl of soul-enriching pozole or charred carne asada tacos. What food brings you back to your childhood? Close your eyes. Remember where you were, how you felt. Who was there? Perhaps it was a visit from the ice cream truck with the promise of a chilly, sweet refreshment on a hot August day? Or maybe a simple slice of cake on your birthday, surrounded by family and friends. Emotions well up inside. Those, my friends, are feelings of nostalgia, and it’s what makes El Molino so special. This food feels like home.

Maybe it was your first churros or that spoonful of a hot fudge sundae as a child.

Initially, I came for the tacos. I had heard whispers and exaltations of the birria with consomme, prompting me to hop in my car and head to the shop. When I finally made my first of many visits, it was the feel of the place that struck me. The dancehall remix of an old Selena song played over the speakers with gusto. Colorful fiesta banners and piñata characters decorated the ceiling. A grandmother with her family picking over fresh fruits and veggies for the evening’s dinner. You forget about the outside world, stepping away from Charleston and into another place entirely.

Straight ahead is the La Michuacana ice cream and sweets counter. You can satisfy all your inner child’s giggling fancies here. From tender tres leches cakes to cinnamon sugar dusted churros, impossibly silky caramel flan, freshly baked pastries, horchata, agua frescas, and an absolute gaggle of ice creams and popsicles; it is what sweet-tooth dreams are made of.

I had heard whispers and exaltations of the birria with consomme, prompting me to hop in my car and head to the shop.

Meandering up and down the aisles is sensory overload. Packaging with new, colorful characters ranging from grandmothers sipping hot chocolate to teddy bears in chef hats, and cartoon pineapples fill the shelves. Dried spices and chiles spark the culinary imagination. The uninitiated may feel overwhelmed, but rest assured, whether you are there to enjoy a quick lunch, a snack of chips and guacamole or are looking to recreate something you saw on Taco Chronicles, the eager staff at El Molino can help. Their knowledgeable team will expertly guide you along and assist you in your culinary exploration. This family owned and run market makes it their mission to welcome you from the moment you walk in the door.

As I look around the store, my mind roams. Seeing the sweets shop, taqueria, butcher counter, fresh produce, and goodies in between, along with names of countries like El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Ecuador and more on products around the store sparks a feeling of wanderlust that excites me.

 ...whether you are there to enjoy a quick lunch, a snack of chips and guacamole or are looking to recreate something you saw on Taco Chronicles, the eager staff at El Molino can help.

Once I pay for my food and my grapefruit-flavored Jarritos, I take it outside to one of the sidewalk tables. The family that was inside shopping has sat down to a lunch together. I take a seat beside them and dig into mine. A take a big whiff of scents wafting up from the meaty torta with a side of consomme. A smile crosses my lips as I pick up my sandwich and dip it into the steamy broth. Just as it nears my mouth, I notice the grandmother next to me doing the same thing. We stop briefly and acknowledge one another with smiles and slight nods right before devouring our sandwiches. 

Long after the family and last drop of broth are gone, I sit back with a full belly and smile. People of all colors, ages, shapes and sizes come and go as proof that El Molino’s appeal is spreading. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and the attention to detail within this market says more than a mouthful. I am excited to return and be inspired all over again.